I want to make use of what’s on a remote computer – at home or another office.

The applications I want to use aren’t available for or don’t work well on Macs.

If any of these reasons sound familiar to you, you’re in the right place! Let’s talk about VMware Fusion 10 and Parallels Desktop 13. To run a cloned or virtual Windows machine on your Mac, these are the two big players on the market.

What are the advantages of using Parallels Desktop 13 or VMWare Fusion 10?

You can:

Run Windows on a Mac.

Utilize a virtual Windows machine.

Save time.

Save money.

Save space.

If you want a seamless Windows experience on your Mac, either one of these software packages will do the job for you. They were each developed by leaders in the field, and their developers stand behind these products. Depending on the package you buy, you may have to spend more money if you want ongoing support.

So, with Parallels Desktop 13 and VMware Fusion 10 both on the market, how do you choose which is right for your internal workflow and broader network configuration?

It’s certainly possible to pick up one of these options, install it, and hope for the best. But that’s exactly what you would be doing–hoping for the best.

The truth is, this is a level of technology that isn’t as simple as plug-and-play. For Parallels Desktop 13 or VMware Fusion 10 to work as they should require an IT professional to set up and maintain it. Without the correct configuration and ongoing support, either of these applications could be a drain on your time rather than a boost to your business.

As we dive into the nuts and bolts of these two impressive software packages, we learn that despite their identical purpose, they are, in fact, very different. Yes, both will allow you to use a cloned or virtual Windows machine on your Mac computer, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. It seems that each developer decided to emphasize different features within the user experience. This makes for two unique offerings that essentially accomplish the same purpose.

Because these two products are so similar, deciding which to use for your small to mid-size business may come down to the finer features included in the recent–almost simultaneous–releases of VMware Fusion 10 and Parallels Desktop 13.

While the developers would point out dozens, if not hundreds of tiny differences between the two, here are the ones that most people are interested in.

Parallels Desktop 13

Cortana Integration

Folder Sharing – Between OSX and Windows

Maintenance Mode for the Virtual Machine

Virtual Machine Icon in Mac Dock

Compatible with macOS High Sierra

One Click Windows 10 Install

Supports Retina Display

Presentation Mode

Customize Touch Bar for Windows applications

Drag and Drop to Open a Document in Windows

Search Feature for Virtual Machine Configuration

Virtual Machine Starts Automatically – Windows Always in Background

Coherence Mode – Windows Apps Made to Act Like Mac Apps

Wizard to Free Up Disk Space in Virtual Machine

Safari Plugin for “Open in Explorer” Function

VMware Fusion 10

New, Easier, User Interface

Touch Bar Integration

Run Mac and Windows Applications Side-by-Side

Share Virtual Machines with other VMware Fusion users

Utilizes the Latest Releases of Windows 10 without trouble

18 Months of E-mail Support

Eligible for Upgrade Pricing – For Next Release

Unity View – Uses Windows Apps Like You Use Mac Apps

Supports Retina Display

Supports Mac Metal – for Better Graphics and Battery Life

Import Virtual Machines from Parallels Desktop

Migration Assistant

MacOS 10.13 Host and Guest Support

Virtualization-Based Security – for Compliance Standards.

Virtual Trusted Platform Module

SSD Based Storage

What hardware do you need to run VMware Fusion 10 or Parallels Desktop 13?

Here are the hardware and software requirement specs for each software package (taken directly from each developer’s page). It’s essential that you take the time to ensure your Mac fits within the given criteria.

Need some help deciding between Parallels Desktop 13 and VMware Fusion 10? We can help! The team of friendly IT professionals at {company} are standing by to answer your Mac and Windows questions. We would be happy to advise you on the right product for your requirements plus implement and maintain it to give you the best user experience for your investment. {phone} or {email}